"Why shouldn't they? Mamdani's primary campaign in New York showed that an appealing socialist candidate with a strong economic message could generate voter enthusiasm. Nor is Mamdani the first: Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez remain popular with the Democratic base, and just this year they brought out tens of thousands of supporters with their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour. According to a recent poll, 67 percent of Democrats and 62 percent of all Americans under 30 years old view socialism favorably."
"If Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for mayor of New York City, wins this fall's election, he will occupy the most powerful executive position of any American socialist. At the moment, the closest contenders are two mayors in California and a county executive in Maryland. No wonder, then, that American socialists have begun to dream big. Earlier this month, the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Mamdani is a member, held its biannual convention in Chicago, attended by 1,500 members."
"DSA counts only three representatives in Congress and no senators (Sanders is sympathetic but has never been a member). For the average voter, even 10 years after Sanders's historic presidential run, American socialists are simply not a distinct, recognizable political force. And the reasons for this failure were entirely manifest at the meeting in Chicago: A significant part of the organization doesn't share its traditional concept of an electoral path to socialism."
If Zohran Mamdani wins New York City's mayoralty, he would become the most powerful executive officeholder among American socialists. The Democratic Socialists of America pledged at its Chicago convention to build a left-labor coalition and to draft a socialist presidential candidate for 2028. Mamdani's primary showed that an appealing socialist with a strong economic message can mobilize voters. Prominent figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez retain grassroots popularity. Polling shows 67% of Democrats and 62% of Americans under 30 view socialism favorably, and the DSA counts about 85,000 members. Yet elected representation remains minimal and internal divisions weaken an electoral strategy.
Read at The Atlantic
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